Overview
- Kick-off is 12:30pm GMT on Saturday, 27 December at the City Ground, with live UK coverage on TNT Sports 1 and streaming on discovery+.
- Manchester City arrive on a seven-match winning run in all competitions and can briefly go top of the Premier League with a victory.
- Pep Guardiola says a late decision will be made on Rodri; Jeremy Doku and Oscar Bobb remain sidelined, John Stones is pushing to return, and Mateo Kovacic is a longer-term absentee.
- Both teams are affected by AFCON absences, with City without Rayan Aït‑Nouri and Omar Marmoush and Forest missing Ibrahim Sangaré and Willy Boly.
- Forest are 17th and five points clear of the drop, buoyed by strong recent home results including a 3-0 win over Tottenham and last season’s 1-0 victory over City, while Erling Haaland is on 19 league goals and expected to start.